As Greene County's population grows, so too does the number of people who need help.

According to reports, 8.4% of county residents live in poverty. Rough numbers would put that at more than 1,600 people. Now, a food pantry that serves them is expanding to meet the needs of nearly 200 families in the Stanardsville area.

“This has been a blessing you know to be here. This is probably the most space we’ve ever had, but it’s still just not sufficient enough,” said Feeding Greene Director Rhonda Oliver. “As you can see we still lack space here. This is it, what you see: no real office, so it gets really tight, really busy. We have one door in and out, and that’s not much when it comes to serving families. When you've got shopping carts, and volunteers, and certainly when it comes to deliveries.”

The volunteer-run group has purchased property for a new building down the street from its current location.

The new pantry can make a big difference in several ways: “We just don’t have the space, and to be able to, you know, design a building that works for us is huge. It will make a big difference in how efficient we can be,” said Oliver.

Moving to a location that is further from the center of town will also mean more privacy for the families that come here to get food that they need

“I guess some people really do feel ashamed that they need to ask for food, but we let them know there’s no reason to be ashamed. You know it could be any of us that need help from time to time,” said the director.

Construction on the new pantry along Stanard Street will start when the house on the property is demolished. For now, Feeding Greene's board is visiting other food pantries to get a better idea of how to design their new space.

Lottye joined the NBC 29 news team in July of 2018. She is thrilled to be back where she was raised after graduating from George Mason University with a degree in communication. You can always reach Lottye via email at llockhart@nbc29.com, on Twitter @LottyeNBC29 and on Facebook: LottyeNBC29.

Lottye joined the NBC 29 news team in July of 2018. She is thrilled to be back where she was raised after graduating from George Mason University with a degree in communication. You can always reach Lottye via email at llockhart@nbc29.com, on Twitter @LottyeNBC29 and on Facebook: LottyeNBC29.